Article Assessment 1

Listen to the Natives

by Marc Prensky

Overview

In Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky discusses the digital age and the students that have grown up with digital technology and are now present in our schools. Today's students are fluent in speaking the language of digital technology and it is a native language to them. These students will evolve and change as rapidly as new technology emerges. The article also discusses the growing gap between teachers and students. While our students are digital natives, today's teachers are what the author refers to as digital immigrants, meaning the digital language is a second language and we speak the language with an 'accent.'

• Digital natives are those who have been born in the digital age, while digital immigrants are those who were born in the predigital world.
• As educators in the 21st century, we must engage students by using 21st century technology.
• Students can be a good resource for teachers learning to use digital technology. "Digital tools are like extentions of students' brains."
• Over 50% of U.S. teachers say computer technology has affected the way they teach.
• A great deal of teachers and administrators do not know what a cookie, a blog, or a wiki is.
• Educators in the 21st century must stop and listen to students, discover how they learn best and incorporate new ideas into their teaching.

Reflection

While many educators are what Prensky refers to as digital immigrants, there are many that have adapted to the new technology available and use it quite effectively. Students need to be engaged in order for them to learn and to make it meaningful to them and most technology is useful to fulfill that need, but some technology, such as cell phones and ipods, are distractions in the classroom and cause students to become disengaged. I disagree with the author regarding lessons in video game format, and while video games can produce some learning, students need to learn in other ways and discover the many different ways to find information. It is extremely important for teachers to understand today's technology, but at the same time, it is more important for teachers to use methods of teaching that will reach as many students as possible, which may not necessarily utilize technology.